Sneaky seagull stealing snacks by the seashore in Connecticut

WATERFORD, Conn. (WFLA) — Beachgoers in Connecticut are facing a problem. A scrappy, feathered, thieving problem who goes by the name Cecil.

He’s a gull who’s made a name for himself by snatching food right out of people’s hands, according to reporting from NBC affiliate WVIT. Hide your loved ones, because Cecil has eyes in the sky and the appetite of a starving man.

Waterford Beach Park has even put up signs about him, warning people to be cautious of the flying fiend.

While he’s usually just after their food, Cecil’s victims don’t always come away unscathed. That sharp beak has left more than one person with bites and scratches, but luckily, the lifeguards stay stocked up on bandages.

Cecil looks to be an American herring gull, one of the most common gulls that frequent East Coast beaches. They are big, loud and notoriously ruthless scavengers, more than happy to steal a meal from other birds, or in this case, unwitting humans.

He may be a nuisance, and the parks and recreation department has gotten plenty of calls this summer about Cecil’s antics, but there’s not much the Town of Waterford can do about him.

“The reality is, it’s a wild animal. It’s not causing true harm,” Waterford Recreation and Parks Program Coordinator Tim Cieplik told WVIT. “There’s not much we can do but laugh along with him.”